MELAKA – The Melaka government is currently in talks with several parties to secure a new business location for Kg Jawa traders who were instructed to vacate their respective shops on May 31.
State Housing, Local Government and Environment Committee chairman Datuk Zaidi Attan said this includes discussions with UDA Holdings Bhd to identify a suitable location in Kg Morten to relocate the traders.
“We have negotiated with the developer (land owner), but they have yet to decide whether they agree to create a new trade area for those involved.
“At the same time, we are looking at any government-owned land around Kg Jawa that we can develop to relocate the traders, but we know that the area is expensive,” he told reporters after flagging off the Melaka government’s post-flood relief mission to Johor here today.
Elaborating, Zaidi said in the previous discussions, the state government had offered the traders to do business at Dataran Pahlawan but was declined on the grounds that Kg Jawa is among the B40 group’s go-to place to get necessities at reasonable prices.
Media previously reported that Kg Jawa, a popular shopping destination for locals and tourists for more than 100 years, will be closed on May 31 to make way for the development of new projects.
Meanwhile, Zaidi said a total of 203 volunteers from nine agencies and local authorities are involved in the post-flood relief mission to Johor.
The mission will focus on assisting residents in Yong Peng, especially in Kg Parit Awang, in clean-up works, besides distributing aid worth almost RM100,000 to 100 families affected by the floods, he said. – Bernama, March 19, 2023
